The first and most basic question facing first time RV buyers is whether to buy a towable or a motorized RV. There are some big differences between the two and these differences will greatly affect the trips that one can take. Here are five advantages to choosing a fifth wheel, travel trailer or other towable RV over a motor home.

• Better Living Space Options

The traditional motor home is necessarily required to commit a sizable amount of the living area to the cabin. Designers of the interior space of towables don’t have to concern themselves with the constraints of the driver and passenger seats, the dash, steering wheel, windshield, etc. Consequently the interior of towables feel more like a home and less like a van with a bed.

• Better Mobility Options

A motor home presents a real problem for its users when they reach their destination. Either they will have to drive the ungainly thing here and there for their daytrips, errands, and dinners out or they will have had to arranged to tow another vehicle. Towables, on the other hand, once parked are easily disconnected from the vehicle giving travelers a much simpler way to get away from the campsite.

• No Extra Motor to Maintain

Presuming that the vehicle used to tow the fifth wheel or travel trailer will have other uses while the RV is parked at home, towables do not bring the added burden and expense of another motor to maintain. Motor homes require their owners to keep up with all the hassles of an extra vehicle while providing no practical benefit when not on the road.

• Greater Living Space Flexibility

Towables are simply more luxurious. Without the constraints and requirements of a motorized vehicle the living space can be designed to fit practically any need or want, often in surprising ways. Once parked towables can be expanded in many more ways than motor homes, providing a more comfortable living space.

Motorized RVs have their share of fans and they are useful in many ways. But to the average RV owner who wishes to travel in comfort a few times a year or even throughout a given season it’s hard to deny the advantages of travel trailers, fifth wheels and other towables.

Warmer days, later sunsets, green grass filling in brown lawns; summer is just about here. No doubt thoughts have begun to turn to the road, camping trips, vacation and your RV. Before you start making plans there are a few things to check out on your RV, travel trailer or fifth wheel. Here is a checklist of things to take care of as you bring it out of hibernation.

• Check the windows and doors

Depending on your climate and how cold the winter got there’s always a chance that something might have happened to the windows or their seals. Thoroughly check the glass and that it sits properly in its place. Make sure the doors still work properly and shut tight.

• Gaskets and connections

Every model is different but it’s a good idea to double check the exterior connections; especially those that move liquid into or out of your travel trailer. Make sure that there is no corrosion and that any gaskets are still pliable and free of cracks.

• Inspect the roof

Check for leaks or weak spots. Clear away and leaves or debris that might have accumulated. Check skylights and anything else up there to make sure that they are secure and well sealed.

• Safety equipment

Make sure that any fire alarms are still working and replace any batteries necessary. Check that your fire extinguishers are still in order and check the first aid kit, replenishing any supplies that are low.

• Thoroughly clean the living area

Even though you probably gave it the once over when you sealed it up for the winter a good cleaning will drive out the musty, stored feeling of the living area.

• Check the plumbing

Make sure that everything in the kitchen and bathroom area is still in working order. Check for mold in the bathroom and shower area making sure to thoroughly clean both.

• Check the tires

Make sure that the tires are in good shape and fully inflated. Check them and make sure the tread is in good shape and the tires are free of cracks. Don’t forget to check the spare while you are at it.

Thoroughly check your travel trailer or fifth wheel now. It will be far better to find and fix any potential problems before you hit the road.

Here’s an interesting little blog I found via Seattlepi.com. Simply called Weird RVs it is precisely that. An ongoing log of the pictures and descriptions of unusual RVs and travel trailers the owner has come across himself or, more often, were sent in to him from readers.

Now, weird may be a little harsh of a description, though it obviously works on bringing in the curious reader like myself. A more apt word might be unusual. There is the expected collection of retrofitted or built from scratch RV weirdness but there are also some very interesting models from the past – RVs and trailers that served a purpose at the time and have since been outpaced or improved beyond recognition.

Anyway you approach it, it makes for an interesting few moments in checking out the wide variety of, well, ok, weird RVs from the past and present. Check it out.

RV blogger Keith Bennett over at Examiner.com reminds us that it’s the time of year when birds are looking for places to nest. And as everyone knows travel trailers, fifth wheels, and campers are a favorite spot for birds to try to build their homes. So as you’re looking at you RV parked beside the house and thinking of your travel plans for the season remember that someone else may have other plans for your RV. Look for and cover up tempting nest sites. Bennett points out that a fifth wheels king pin area is a particular favorite for some reason.

So the economy is not performing at its peak these days but that does not mean that people are not interested in RVs. The annual RV shows recently showed some impressive numbers: 44,000 people attended the Florida RV Super Show; 35,000 came out for the Utah RV Show; and 30,000 showed up for the Maryland RV Show.

And this is not just about people coming to gawk. They are buying.

“Our sales were up 20 percent over last year’s (Maryland RV) show,” says Charlie Wolf, sales manager for Beckley’s Camping Center. “People are still buying RVs. They still want to go camping, get away and have fun.”

Not bad for an industry that conventional wisdom says should be at a virtual stand-still.

Probably the most common image among average consumers of RV travel is of huge costs. Ponderous motorhomes or massive luxury fifth wheels that require trucks with tonnage in the name.

But single digit mileage and CDL skills are no longer needed with some of the RV models out today. Some travel trailers and many campers are compact enough and aerodynamically designed so that all you need to haul them is a tow package on your modest-sized car.

Even motorhomes have made strides in this area with some clocking in with a 25% improvement in gas efficiency. In fact, RV travel is among the very cheapest way to travel!

When you’re on the prowl for adventure, nothing is better suited than a Puma Travel Trailer. These powerfully-built, easily towed travel trailers make the adventure fun and carefree. Puma offers 22 floor plan choices including a variety of kids’ bunk room models. Satellite TV hook-up is standard on all models to keep everyone entertained.

Puma’s beautifully designed interiors integrate space, style, and comfort to give you the best of everything – generous living space, convenient features and lush comforts. An abundance of storage is found through out enhanced by handsome arch style cabinet doors and solid wood drawers. In the bed and bath area, the residential style shower includes an over head skylight for natural lighting.

At Starcraft they call it Starcraftsmanship. It’s a working philosophy that starts with research and design and carries all the way through production to sales ans service. It’s their way of bringing you more in terms of value, service and warranty.

It’s a standard of excellence, a frame of mind. When you take the best ideas, designs, materials and people and put them all together, year after year, you earn a rputation. That rep goes on the line everytime another Starcraft RV is sold.

Looking for the perfect expandable? Starcraft’s got it with the Star Stream. Their models have two large fold-down bunks – one in the front and the other on the side. Additional standard equipment includes a full bath, complete kitchen, large pantry and plenty of storage.

But don’t expect to see a row of CEO’s lined up begging for money in front of a congressional hearing. The RVDA isn’t proposing bailout money. They just want a temporary change in the rules.

Here’s what they’re looking for. There’s something called the net operating loss period (NOL) during which small businesses can use profits from previous periods to generate operating cash. Right now NOL only goes back two years which, in these tough times, doesn’t help much.

So the RVDA is asking Congress to temporarily extend NOL a more beneficial five years. It’s something that’s been done before and has help small businesses survive previous recessions.

Will it work? I have no idea; I’m no economist. But it is satisfying to see an industry taking a more creative approach to the problem then just asking for a few billion dollars in bailout money.

With markets in just about every industry tightening and spending for luxury items down now might seem an unlikely time to start a new RV and fifth wheel manufacturing company. But don’t tell that to the folks at EverGreen RV in Indiana.

The start-up opened for business in Dec. ’08 and they only see a bright future ahead.

Their main line of RVs is called Everlite and it features a new composite material they’re calling ComposiTek. According to co-founder Doug Lantz “it’s replacing wood in the construction process to give us lighter weight, stronger more durable and thus a higher quality product.”

Hmm, a lighter and therefore more fuel efficient RV. They might just be on to something here!